Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1887-09-15
THE GATEIIIIl HISTORY or OHIO.
By w.EARRAND FEJoH.
Copyrighted. All rights reserrsd.I

In lT0l Br1tlsh trading post was
established on the Big Miami river; but
in the following year it was destroyed
by the French, and many similar efforts
OF the English were resisted by the
French. During the years 1923 IL
became manifest that great struggle
was imminent between the two nation
alities for the possession Of the West
The British ministers were too much
absorbed in intrigues at home to pay
much attention to their colonies, which
were allowed to protect their rights In
the Ohio Valley as best they could
The treaty of Aix-la- Chapelle had just
been completed, and the attention of
European diplomatists had been alb
sorbed in that imposing convention.
But the destinies of the new nation on
this side of the Atlantic were depend
ing upon much slighter thread. On
seemingly trivial matters often hinge
the greatest issues; and to a then un-
known lad, threading the forest soli-
tudes of the New World in the humble
capacity of surveyor, was entrusted the
destinies of this nation-to George
Washington, first in war, first in peace
and first in the hearts of his country
men"-the father and savior of his
country.
When Geo. Washington was only
sixteen years of age he left school,
his education completed and prepared
to launch forth in life. He went to his
brother Lawrence, then living at Mt.
Vernon, and passed the winterfn study
ing mathematics and surveying. Lord
Fairfax, whose daughter Lawrence
Washington had married, took an in
terest in the lad and engaged him to
survey several large tracts of land in
the interior of the State. The young
surveyor accepted the proposal and set
out in March, before the SHOWS had left
the SUBMITS of the Alleghenies.
Having accomplished his task to the
satisfaction of his benefactor, he obtain
ed the appointment as Public Surveyor
and for three years, excepting in the
winter months, passed most of his time
in the wilderness. The historian,
Headley, in commenting on this period
in the life of Washington, says: ut
was the same succession of hardships
and exposures swimming rapid
streams; tomorrow drenched and chill
ed, picking his way through the drip
ping forest-now reclining at the close
of day on some slope of the Alleghenies
and gazing off on the autumnal glories
of the bOundless solitude, as it lay
bathed in the rich hues of the setting
sun .....A better training to impart
self-reliance and GOODNESS in the hour
of peril, and indOmitable energy, could
not have been furnished, while those
moral qualities which, amid the false
tastes Of more cultivated life, might
have sickened, could not but be
strengthened by these long and glorious
communings with Nature. God sent
Moses forty years in the wilderness
before he would allow him to lead his
chosen people he would allow him to
lead his chosen people to the land of
Canaan. So did Washington pass
long novitiate amid the solitudes of his
native country, the better to prepare
him to lead the children of freedom to
peace and security"
That Washington was something
more than an able surveyor IS evident
from the great confidence resposed in
him by the Virginia Government. The
complete history of the boy-man is not
to be obtained; but we know that at the
age of nineteen he was chosen Com
mander of one of the four districts of
the province, which had been set eff in
order to organize more effectually the
militia, and resist the depredatiOns of
the Indians. His title was that of
Adjutant- General with the rank of
Major. The militia in the various Sec
tions were mustered to receive him,
and he reviewed and instructed them,
as we'll as the officers in the duties of
their callings.
The French and English were at this
time contesting for the mastery fthe
new West. The French occupied
Canada and were already crossing over,
and erecting posts and Notifications
along the Ohio, crowding close upon
the Virginia frontier. But England
had anticipated this furay, and sent
over orders to have two forts built on
the Ohio, and also dispatched thirty
cannons with ammunition to defend
them. The French had, however, al
ready commenced a line of forts and
military posts to extend from New
Orleans to Canada, claiming all the
land to the westward by right of dis
covery. The English based their rights
on Indian treaties; but both claims
were equally absured. The Indians, on
tu0tT part, WCLO puADiCu w hhOW Whoo
course to pursue. and asked Mr.. Gist,
who had been sent by Governor Din
widdie to trade with them "where-
about the Indian lands lay, as the
French claimed all on one side of the
Ohio, and the English all on the other
1t was evidently that "might" was to
settle the question, eventually.
In 175S, the Ohio Company had OPEN
ed road, by "Will's Creek" into the
western valley, and were preparing to
locate colony. AS "The Ohio Com
pany" was under the special protection
of Virginia. Governor Dinwiddie de-
termined to send messenger to the
commander of the French forces, and
demand the reasons for his invading
the British dominions, and to ascertain
what he proposed to do. To undertake
this, through nearlysi hundred miles
of forest filed with Indians and crossed
only by trails, required man of no
common fortitude, energy, and intre-
pidity-a task that would have caused
the staunchest back.woodsman to
hesitate, for 1t would require the hardi-
hood and endurance Of man of life
long training on the frontier. To the
accomplishment ofthis task Governor
Dinwiddie assigned Major Geo., WASH
ington, then but twenty-one years OF
age; with six assistants. he set out from
Williamsburgh, Virginia, In the middle
of osfnxvtt,or far tho sva tatn Of the Ohio